5 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Prospects Who Fit the Penguins’ 2027 Draft Needs – The Hockey Writers – Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins should evaluate this week’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup through the specific needs rather than treating it as an early ranking exercise for the 2027 NHL Draft. Pittsburgh’s 2027 draft-pick inventory includes seven selections, with its first-round pick, two second-rounders and a third-round selection acquired from the New Jersey Devils.

That gives president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas four opportunities in the opening three rounds to pursue talent that should eventually lead the organization rather than just deepen it. The Penguins have improved their system with players such as Rutger McGroarty and Harrison Brunicke, but their center pipeline remains uncertain, and no prospect has established himself as an obvious future franchise star.

The Penguins’ top 15 prospects include several potential NHL contributors without providing a clear successor to Sidney Crosby. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which runs from Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton, offers an early look at several players capable of changing that evaluation. This is not a ranking of the tournament’s five best prospects. It identifies five players whose position, tools and potential draft range fit what Pittsburgh needs most.

1. Alexis Joseph Could Become Pittsburgh’s Future Centerpiece

Alexis Joseph represents the most direct answer to the Penguins’ need for a future first-line center. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound forward recorded 24 goals and 60 points in 54 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Joseph finished second on the team in points.

Joseph combines the size expected from a power center with enough skill and mobility to create offense rather than merely finish around the crease. He can protect possession, attack through the middle, and use his reach to maintain control when defenders attempt to close his space.

His early high ranking among the leading 2027 draft prospects means Pittsburgh might need a high first-round selection to have a realistic chance at selecting him. He could move even higher if his offensive development continues and he demonstrates that he can drive play consistently rather than rely on his physical advantages.

We know the Penguins will not plan around selecting one specific player nearly a year before the draft, but Joseph is still the type of prospect their system lacks: a large, skilled center with legitimate star potential. If the team lands within his range, positional need and ceiling would make him one of the easiest players to prioritize.

2. Milan Sundström Offers Size and Skill at Center

Milan Sundström may provide another high-upside option through the middle if Joseph moves beyond Pittsburgh’s reach. The Swedish forward is listed at 6-foot-2 and 187 pounds and spent much of last season competing above his age group with MoDo Hockey. He recorded 12 goals and 20 points in only 12 games at Sweden’s U20 level after producing heavily for the club’s U18 team.

Sundström’s appeal comes from the variety within his offensive game. He can protect the puck, distribute through traffic and finish chances himself, preventing defenders from anticipating whether he will shoot or look for a teammate. That combination has already been visible in Edmonton. Sundström produced two goals and an assist through Sweden’s first two preliminary-round games.

Pittsburgh has added several forward prospects with size or scoring ability, but few combine both while projecting through the middle. Markus Ruck and Will Horcoff provide potential center options without yet carrying a clear first-line projection. Sundström would give the organization another serious swing at that role. Even if he eventually moves to the wing, his combination of size, intelligence and scoring would add needed top-six upside.

3. Brock England Could Add Speed Down the Middle

Brock England may not possess Joseph’s size or Sundström’s early scoring reputation, but his speed and two-way ability make him a strong candidate for one of the Penguins’ early picks. England recorded 21 goals and 51 points in 64 games during his rookie season with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He finished fourth on Seattle in scoring and earned the team’s Rookie of the Year award while developing into one of the more productive 2009-born players in Canadian junior hockey.

His skating is the foundation of his projection. England can pressure puck carriers, accelerate through the neutral zone and attack openings before a defensive structure becomes established. That speed also supports his work without the puck, giving him a possible route toward center even if he does not become a leading scorer.

The 5-foot-11 forward has started the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with two goals and three points through two games. Canada lists him at 175 pounds, leaving room for additional physical development.

England may project more naturally as a second- or third-line center than a franchise centerpiece. That would still provide meaningful value for an organization that needs several long-term answers down the middle. Pittsburgh’s two second-round picks could create an ideal range for targeting a player with England’s combination of pace, competitiveness and positional value without reaching solely because he plays center.

4. Luca Santala Could Supply Needed Goal-Scoring Upside

Luca Santala may play center or wing professionally, but his shot and finishing ability should interest Pittsburgh regardless of his eventual position. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward is playing for Kiekko-Espoo’s U20 team in Finland after already producing against older competition. His combination of size, release and offensive instincts became especially noticeable during the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Santala scored a hat trick and added an assist in Finland’s tournament-opening victory over Norway. The four-point performance showed his ability to finish from multiple areas rather than depending on one type of opportunity. He has recorded one assist through his first two Hlinka Gretzky Cup games and remains one of the roster’s larger forwards. Finland lists him as a right-shot forward, another potentially useful trait for a Pittsburgh system with several left-handed scoring options.

The Penguins have increased their quantity of potential complementary wingers. They still need more players capable of becoming primary finishers. Santala would represent a bet on that upside. His professional projection will depend on whether he can improve his pace, play away from the puck and ability to create offense when opponents remove his shooting space.

Pittsburgh should remain interested even if scouts ultimately view him as a winger. A system lacking an obvious future star cannot limit itself to positional safety when genuine scoring talent is available.

5. Michal Hartl Could Become an Early-Round Value

Michal Hartl may be the most attainable player on this list with Pittsburgh’s extra second-round selection or its third-round pick. The 6-foot, right-shot forward produced 24 goals and 40 points in 36 games for HC Kometa Brno at Czechia’s top junior level. He also appeared in 14 games against men in the Czech Extraliga, gaining professional experience before his draft season.

Hartl’s Czech national-team profile shows consistent production against his age group and experience throughout the country’s junior international program. He entered the Hlinka Gretzky Cup as a center-wing option and produced one goal and one assist through Czechia’s first two games.

That versatility fits the Penguins’ situation. Pittsburgh needs center depth, but it should also value forwards capable of moving outside if their professional games are better suited to the wing. Hartl plays with enough strength to compete through traffic and has demonstrated a scorer’s touch around the net. His experience against professional competition should also give scouts an early reference point for how he processes the game against larger and faster opponents.

He does not carry Joseph’s franchise-player projection, but he could still become a valuable selection whose offensive ceiling exceeds his draft position. The Penguins’ improving prospect pool gives Dubas more freedom to pursue upside instead of selecting only players with safe bottom-of-the-lineup projections. Hartl would fit that strategy as a productive and versatile forward who could remain available after the first round.

Penguins Must Use Their Draft Capital to Chase Upside

The Penguins should not enter the 2027 Draft determined to select a center regardless of which players remain available. Reaching for position would waste the flexibility they created by accumulating additional picks. Their needs should influence how they separate similarly ranked players.

Joseph represents the franchise-changing center Pittsburgh lacks. Sundström offers another combination of size and top-six skill, while England could provide speed and two-way value through the middle. Santala brings legitimate finishing upside, and Hartl may become an attainable early-round scorer with positional versatility.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup will not determine where any of them will be selected, but it gives scouts an important first look at how each player responds to elite competition during his draft season. Pittsburgh has rebuilt the depth of its prospect system. The 2027 Draft should be about using that foundation to pursue something more difficult to find: a player capable of eventually leading it.